


Run and Return: Gabenath Week 2018

by seasonofthegeek



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: post-hawkmoth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-23 20:33:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15614433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasonofthegeek/pseuds/seasonofthegeek
Summary: When his son took his Miraculous and told him to turn himself into the authorities, Gabriel Agreste panicked and ran. Nathalie stayed by his side long enough for him to realize he needed to return and pay for his crimes.Written for the Gabenath Discord Server Exchange and Gabenath Week 2018





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AuroraLynne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraLynne/gifts).



> This is the prologue of the Gabenath Week story which will continue on Sunday. :)

“With all due respect, sir, you look like week-old takeout on a bad day,” Nathalie said, adjusting her glasses.

“I never knew you could be so descriptive, Nathalie,” Gabriel muttered as he scratched at the stubble along his jaw. “You may as well drop the ‘sir’. You don’t work for me anymore.”

“If it’s all the same, I may still use it,” she shrugged. “It gives me some sense of normalcy in this ridiculous situation.” She lifted a dark ball cap from the hook by the door and settled it over her newly shortened hair. “I’m going out for a food run. I suggest you shower and clean up before I return.”

“Yes, and if I don’t?” he challenged.

Nathalie picked up a reusable shopping bag and turned back to glance at him. “Then you’ll realize that the past month has been paradise compared to what it could be if you don’t stop moping around. My patience is wearing thin, sir, and I’m all you’ve got left.” With that, she exited the motel room, pulling the door shut with a bit too much force.

Gabriel glared at the old wooden door for a few minutes before he forced himself off the couch. He made his way to the dingy bathroom and stared into the mirror at a stranger. Gray stubble lined his jaw and worked its way into uneven patches up his cheeks. His gray roots were showing badly, made more visible by the lack of washing. Dark bags had formed under his eyes and even those seemed gray, as if the blue had been leeched away just like everything else over the past few weeks.

He missed Nooroo. He missed his shower. He missed his bed and his clothes and his office and…

Adrien.

Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut but the heartbroken look on his son’s face didn’t disappear. Adrien realized he was Hawkmoth and confronted him as Chat Noir. Gabriel tried to explain why he’d done the things he’d done but even he had to admit it sounded weak by the end. If he was being honest with himself, Gabriel continued to be Hawkmoth because he wanted to be, original motives intact or not. 

He’d disappointed his son more times than he probably even knew, but he doubted he would ever forget this instance. Adrien had taken the Butterfly Miraculous, handing it over to Ladybug without a word. He told Gabriel to take the day to figure things out and then he needed to hand himself over to the authorities so he could pay for his crimes. 

Gabriel glared at his reflection. He had no doubt that had been Ladybug’s influence. The look of righteous anger in her eyes during the whole exchange told him everything he needed to know. She’d poisoned his own son against him…or perhaps he’d done that all on his own.

So Gabriel ran.

He was surprised Nathalie chose to come with him but he was grateful for it. Loosing Nooroo took more of an emotional toll than he expected and she’d taken care of the plans to ghost them away from Paris and to their current location, wherever that was. He hadn’t made it out of the motel room since they arrived but couldn’t work up the energy to care. It had been years since he’d left the safety of his mansion and being forced away and into a small, dirty, strange place hadn’t done much for his psyche.

He finally coaxed himself into the shower. The showerhead was too short so he had to bend down to wash his hair and the hot water ran out as soon as he started. He cursed under his breath, knocking his elbow against the cracked tile of the stall wall.

“Are you okay?” Nathalie called from the bedroom, apparently back from her quick run out.

“This damn shower is—“ The back of Gabriel’s head hit the lip of the showerhead and he felt an instant sting of pain. “Damn it!”

“What’s going on?”

He froze, one hand gingerly touching his scalp. Nathalie was in the bathroom. He could see the outline of her through the flimsy shower curtain and found himself turning his body away and towards the wall. He cleared his throat. “Everything is fine, Nathalie. That will be all.”

He eyed her shadow as it stayed in place for a few moments before it disappeared with the sound of the bathroom door closing. Gabriel let out a relieved sigh and quickly finished washing the best he could in the shower stall from hell.  
__________________________

“Dinner,” Nathalie offered without looking up at Gabriel when he entered the room. A cardboard box lay open on the small table, a pizza sitting in it with two slices missing. A bag of salad was beside it, half the contents scooped out onto Nathalie’s plate. “You have to eat.”

“I’m not particularly hungry.”

“You’re losing weight,” she noted, “and you weren’t exactly robust to begin with, sir. Eat.” 

The small television was on and Nathalie watched the news as she ate but Gabriel watched her. Her new hairstyle suited her; short and sleek and still somehow stylish in this wasteland they inhabited. She had a gift for that, it seemed. Seeing her in a loose t-shirt and jeans was a new experience though. He wouldn’t have thought they would look right on her but they did. Even different, she was a comforting constant for him. 

Nathalie caught him watching her. “Eat.”

“You aren’t the boss of me, Nathalie.”

“Actually, Gabriel, I’ve decided I am because you aren’t qualified for the position yourself at the moment.” She stood and picked up a paper plate, unceremoniously dumping a clump of salad on it and a slice of pizza. “Eat.”

“This is garbage.”

“That’s our reality right now.”

Nathalie sat back down and picked up a pizza crust, chewing on it thoughtfully as she watched a car commercial.

“Why are you here?” Gabriel finally asked; his food left untouched on the plate on his lap.

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you come with me? You didn’t have to.”

Nathalie pursed her lips. “The authorities would’ve questioned me and I would’ve been found as an accomplice if I stayed.”

Gabriel nodded. “Then you’re running too.”

She shrugged. “I go where you go, sir.”

“You could’ve gone anywhere though. It’s probably more dangerous that we’re together. Why here? This place is awful.”

Nathalie looked around the rundown motel room. “It is,” she nodded, “but no one is going to look for Gabriel Agreste in a place like this.”

“I’m not sure I feel like Gabriel Agreste anymore.”

“You certainly don’t look like him.”

Gabriel wanted to argue but his reflection came back to mind. “Or maybe I finally look like I should.”

“Sir?”

“I could’ve stopped,” he said quietly. “When I found out I couldn’t bring Emilie back, I could’ve taken off the brooch and walked away, but I didn’t.”

Nathalie remained quiet, waiting for him to continue.

“I think I enjoyed it on some level. I enjoyed knowing that I wasn’t the only broken one in that awful city who felt wrong inside. I fed off finding that in others.” He shook his head and tossed his plate on the table, the pizza slice sliding off the side. “Adrien was all I had left and I couldn’t make myself stop even for him.”

“You did though,” she replied after a few long seconds. “You didn’t fight him in the end. You could have, but you didn’t.”

“His face.” Gabriel ran his hands into his hair. “The way he looked at me.” He closed his eyes but the image of Adrien was still there. “He’ll never forgive me for this.”

“I think perhaps you shouldn’t sell Adrien so short. Just because you don’t deserve his forgiveness doesn’t mean he may not give it.” Nathalie stood and took her empty plate to the trash bag hanging from a knob on the dresser. “You could go back.”

Gabriel swallowed hard. “Go back?”

“He asked you to turn yourself in. You could do that. You could make amends.”

“I can’t.”

“Can I be honest with you, sir?”

He eyed her warily. “Has this not been you being honest with me?”

Nathalie exhaled slowly and met his eyes. “You’ve already lost, Gabriel. If the company somehow survives this, you will most likely never be a part of it again. Hawkmoth is gone. You’re never getting the brooch back. It’s in the past. Emilie isn’t coming back. She was never coming back and I think you know that.”

Gabriel felt the sting of tears and he blinked angrily, clenching his jaw.

“The life you knew is absolutely over, but there are still people who care about you and if you keep running, you’re going to lose them too.”

He shook his head. “I can’t go back.”

“You mean you won’t go back,” she corrected.

“How dare you talk down to me when you’re running too? You aren’t any better than me in this.”

She went to her bag by the door and pulled out an envelope, placing it on the table. “There are two bus tickets back to Paris. It will be a three-day trip. I’d like it if you went with me.”

“And just moments ago it was ‘I go where you go’,” he muttered.

Nathalie stiffened. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

They glared at each other for a few moments and then she was crossing the room, scooping up her bag as she went. 

“Where are you going?” Gabriel called out, irritation coloring his tone.

“Out,” she snapped, slamming the door closed.  
__________________________

Gabriel reached for the doorknob for the fifth time and let his hand fall away with a growl. He hated the anxiety he got at the thought of opening the door. And what would he do once he opened the door? Stand in the open doorway while he worked up the strength to step outside? How much energy would it take to make himself walk far enough to actually look for Nathalie? Ridiculous.

The door suddenly opened and he stumbled back in surprise. Nathalie blinked at him. “What are you doing?” She closed the door and looked back. “Were you going to go out?”

“Don’t be absurd.”

She studied him. “Were you going to look for me?”

Gabriel went to the couch and sat down stiffly. “I assumed you’d left for good. What would be the point?”

“You didn’t think that. For a liar, you have a terrible poker face.”

He glared at her. “Where did you go then?”

“I wanted to clear my head. It hasn’t been exactly easy being stuck in here with you all this time.”

“Yes, you’ve made it quite apparent what a burden I am to those around me.”

Nathalie crossed her arms. “You’re being an asshole on purpose. That’s not what I meant.”

“Isn’t it? I’m still not sure why you chose to run away with me, Nathalie. You’re obviously unhappy being here.”

“It wasn’t about running away, Gabriel. It was about staying with you,” she growled, eyes narrowed. “But I’m beginning to see what a fool I’ve been.”

Her words gave him pause, his mouth opening for a moment and then snapping shut.

“Do you honestly think I’m still here because I worked for you? Who in their right mind would put up with you without a nice paycheck? What employee would keep you hidden and safe until you came to your senses?” She went to the inset closet and pulled her suitcase out, dropping it on the bed and flipping the top open as Gabriel watched her. “I knew this was futile, but I think I still thought…” She trailed off and shook her head, going to one of her drawers and beginning to move the clothes from there to the suitcase.

“If not for any of those reasons, then why?” Gabriel finally asked once she’d emptied the second drawer. 

“Because I love you, you absolute idiot,” she muttered, moving to the last drawer. “Because I’ve loved you for years and I should’ve stopped you earlier and I didn’t and this was me trying to make penance but I’m done now.” She zipped her suitcase and took a deep breath. “I’m going back to Paris on the bus tomorrow. Are you coming with me or not?”

He was silent for a few moments. “I don’t deserve your love.”

“I’m fully aware of that.”

He looked up at her, eyes sharpening. “Our lives are over if we go back.”

“Perhaps,” she nodded. “Or maybe it’s a chance for a new start.”

A heavy silence fell between. 

“I don’t know if I can make myself leave the room,” he admitted, shame filling his eyes.

Nathalie felt the anger inside her soften and she reached for her bag and produced a small bottle of pills. “I got you here, sir. I know how to get you back.”  
__________________________

Nathalie held Gabriel’s hand as the bus traveled down the long path back to Paris. His head dipped forward when the bus hit a bump and she reached over to tilt it to the side to rest on her shoulder. She heard him mutter nonsensically.

“Go to sleep,” she demanded gently. “Stop fighting the medicine, sir.”

She felt him give up after a few moments, his fingers loosening between hers but she didn’t let go. She let her mind wander to what awaited them. Perhaps she could work things out. Fair or not, Gabriel was still considered a powerful man by some people. His punishment didn’t necessarily need to mean jail time. She would reach out to Adrien first. A word from Chat Noir could go a long way if he was willing. The mansion had been both of their prison for so long, it could remain one for Gabriel.

She wasn’t sure what awaited them. She wasn’t sure what would happen once the dust settled and her confession of love sat like a weight between them. She didn’t know what to expect from Adrien or if Gabriel could still be saved. She wasn’t certain of a lot of things but she still had hope. And she would hold onto that hope with everything she had.


	2. Go Akumatize Yourself

“If you keep scratching, you’re going to break the skin,” Nathalie admonished without looking away from her computer screen.

Gabriel scowled in her direction and let the hem of his pants fall back over the bulky ankle monitor. “I can’t believe I’m a prisoner in my own home.”

“Two weeks ago, you were relatively homeless and wearing a Hawaiian print shirt and a month’s worth of facial hair in a pay-by-the-day motel, Sir. I think you should be more aware of your situation.”

“I’m aware of my situation,” he sneered. “And the situation is that I’m not allowed to walk out of my own front door.”

“You can walk out the front door. You simply can’t go through the gate,” she corrected. “And I’m not sure why you’re being so surly since you rarely stepped foot outside as it was.”

“Yes, but I could have if I wanted to. Now I don’t have that choice!”

She sighed loudly and took her glasses off, making a show of pinching the bridge of her nose. “Perhaps you should be done for the day, Gabriel. It isn’t as if you can do much anyway.” She caught his flinch out of the corner of her eye as she slid her glasses back on. He didn’t speak as he stalked past her and out of the office.

Nathalie inhaled deeply and tried to return her focus to the legal papers she was reviewing. Gabriel’s return to Paris and confession of being Hawkmoth had caused quite the stir. Chat Noir had come to her apartment the first night Gabriel spent in jail.

“I don’t know what to do,” he confessed. “I’m supposed to testify against him, and I know what he did was really wrong and I’m furious at him, but...” He trailed off, black ears drooping. “I didn’t tell anyone about you, just so you know. I...a friend of mine helped me get into all the files and accounts at home and I think I read every email in there. I know you were trying to talk him into stopping so...thanks for that, I guess.”

“I should’ve done more and sooner,” she admitted with a small shrug. “I’m as guilty as he is. And those files shouldn’t have been accessible. I deleted any trace.” She quirked an eyebrow.

Chat Noir held back a smug smile. “My friend is very good.”

“Apparently.”

“He created an A.I. when we were fourteen. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Ah, yes, I remember Mr. Kante,” Nathalie nodded. “Adrien, I’m so sorry for my part in this.”

“I was going to say it’s okay, but it isn’t.” He shrugged uncomfortably. “I know you already have a lawyer set up. Are you trying to get Father out of jail?”

“Yes. I don’t think his sanity will hold up very long there.”

Chat Noir let out a long breath. “Yeah, I was thinking about that too. I saw the email about requesting house arrest?”

“You’re still reading my emails?” she asked, tone devoid of accusation.

“Yes.” His lips set in a firm line and Nathalie gave him a small nod. He seemed to relax at her reaction. “If I can help with that as Chat or Adrien, let me know. He needs to pay for his crimes but...but I don’t want him to be tortured for them.”

“He might be sent to a mental facility instead. That’s an option.”

Chat Noir nodded. “I know, but I hope that you can still help him no matter where he goes.”

“He may not want my help.”

“He will, Nathalie.”

Nathalie sat back in her desk chair and tried to clear her mind of the memory. Adrien would be stopping by for dinner soon. He was coming every other night and the guard at the front door begrudgingly let him in. Most people had a hard time telling Adrien no when he really put on the charm and he knew it. It did seem to help Gabriel to see him so that was something. Although Nathalie was tempted to call the younger Agreste and warn him of his father’s mood.

“I decided that I will not be told to go to my room like a child,” Gabriel fumed, entering the office again and looking down his nose at her. “I may not hold any power now but that doesn’t mean I will cater to this nonsense.”

She knew he was feeling useless and vulnerable and lashing out. He tended to get nervous before Adrien appeared and sometimes his anxiety manifested in anger. And most days, Nathalie could manage it. She could ignore it or placate him. But today...today she was tired.

She stood, smoothing her skirt down as she rounded the desk. “With no due respect, sir, go akumatize yourself,” she said calmly before leaving the office. Her heels clicked against the marble as she made the trek to her new room down one of the halls in the mansion. And she heard Gabriel sputter behind her but he didn’t follow, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.


	3. Administrative Assistant's Day

“Are you still angry with me?”

Nathalie eyed Gabriel as she sat down at her desk. “That depends. Are you going to be an asshole again today?”

His lips flattened into a thin line. “That’s not on the schedule, no.”

“Good.” She booted up her computer and took a sip of coffee. “Mrs. Le Chien will be here at noon to discuss your trial. Apparently the company books are being looked at now as if acts of terrorism won’t be enough to put you away for life if you’re found guilty.”

“No stone left unturned,” he replied dryly. “At least the business is clean.”

“Hopefully.”

“What’s that mean?”

“That neither you or I could possibly supervise every part of the business but if anything not above board is found, it will fall on our shoulders.”

Gabriel sat down heavily in the chair he’d set in front of her desk earlier in the week. “Right, of course.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Anything else for today?”

“I have more things to review but nothing you’re needed for.”

“You know, it’s Administrative Assistant’s Day. I thought of ordering you flowers or jewelry but then I realized I have no funds or internet connection.”

“It’s fine. I don’t need flowers or jewelry.” Nathalie kept her eyes on the screen but she could still see Gabriel’s face in her peripheral. “But thank you for the thought.”

“Are we ever going to talk about it?”

“Talk about what, sir?”

“Don’t ‘sir’ me right now.”

Nathalie keyed in her private code to access the internet as per the agreement of Gabriel’s house arrest. “Talk about what, Gabriel?” she amended. 

“You said you loved me, back in the motel.”

“And?”

He frowned. “And why did you say that?”

Nathalie opened her email, still refusing to look at him. “Why would I say that? Am I someone who just flippantly says things?”

“You can’t love me.”

“I wasn’t aware it was that easy. Apologies.”

Gabriel huffed, crossing his arms. “Nathalie, would you please look at me? This is a serious conversation.”

“And I seriously need to review these legal notes before we meet with your lawyer.”

“Fine, be stubborn.” He stood in exasperation and began to pace the office.

Nathalie attempted to ignore him for a few moments before she failed miserably. “Nothing needs to change, Gabriel. I never intended to confess to you and will be content if you forget it occurred.”

He turned to look at her. “But you do love me?”

She inhaled deeply. She felt tired and her day had barely begun. “Yes, I love you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“You’re right.”

“I’m not sure I can return those feelings.”

“I’m not asking you to. I never expected you to.” She tilted her chin up. “Now, please go find something to entertain yourself so I can have all of this reviewed before our meeting.”

Gabriel’s mouth snapped shut, his reply held back. He nodded stiffly and left the room. Nathalie felt the tickle of tears and clenched her jaw, swallowing against the lump forming in her throat. She promised herself she would never cry over Gabriel Agreste again and she sure as hell wasn’t going to break that promise today.


	4. Role Swap

“Log off this instant. You’re going to bed.” Gabriel stood in front of Nathalie’s desk with his arms crossed.

“I’m fine,” she insisted but her tone lacked any real conviction. With a congested sniffle, she began to shut down her computer. “Although maybe rest would do me good. Tomorrow is going to be busy.”

“Not if you don’t get better,” he huffed and stepped aside so she could move past him. “Go get comfortable. I’ll bring your dinner to you.”

“Don’t be absurd. I--”

“Nathalie, go.” Gabriel looked down his nose at her, expression stern.

Nathalie ignored his stare as she circled him and trudged to her room. Everything ached from her neck and shoulders to the tips of her toes. Her face felt like cement had been injected and left to harden beneath her skin and while she was imagining horrible scenarios to describe her pain, her throat felt as if a sharp knife had been forced down it and twisted around a few times before coming back up. Her eyes burned and her nose was somehow stuffy and running and she was, without a doubt, miserable.

Now that she was upright and walking, she realized she was feeling a bit disoriented. She made it to her room and somehow into her leggings and threadbare sweatshirt and then she was tumbling into her bed. She realized she’d fallen asleep at some point when there was a soft knock at the door.

Gabriel eased the door open, balancing a tray loaded with a bowl and multiple small bottles. “You need to eat and take some medicine.”

“Sleep,” she grumbled, pulling the blankets tighter around her. Had the room always been this cold? 

“I obviously couldn’t send out for anything so you’re going to be stuck with my feeble attempt at soup,” Gabriel said as if apologizing. He helped her sit up against the headboard and put the tray over her lap. “Eat that and I’ll get your medicine ready. It should be cool.”

Nathalie eyed the bowl of liquid warily. “What is it?”

“I followed a recipe,” he huffed, picking up one of the medicine bottles. “There’s chicken and noodles and bits of vegetables that were available. We didn’t have everything in stock but...” He trailed off as she made a face after the first spoonful. “Is it really that bad?”

“My throat hurts,” she murmured. “It’s fine.” She spooned up a bit more of the soup and forced it down.

Gabriel watched her for a moment and then nodded. “I wasn’t sure exactly what your symptoms were so I brought anything I thought might fit and we can pair them down.”

Nathalie eyed the bottles on the tray and reached for one. “This will be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I bought this medicine, Gabriel. I’m sure.” Her words ended in a cough and a grimace and she weakly unscrewed the cap and tapped two pills out.

Gabriel grabbed the glass of water from the tray and offered it to her without a word. She took it gratefully and washed down the medicine and soup. 

“Get some sleep,” he instructed, taking the tray away when she was finished. “I’ll keep my ringer on so text me if you need me.”

Nathalie wanted to make some smart remark to balance how vulnerable she wa feeling but she couldn’t bring herself to. She nodded and settled back against her pillows. Gabriel lingered and for one uncertain moment, Nathalie thought he would lean down to kiss her but then he was leaving the room, the door left ajar. She blinked in surprise. She really must be delirious from her illness.


	5. Silence

Gabriel wasn’t a quiet man, which Nathalie mused, may surprise some who didn’t know him well. And since no one knew him as well as she did, perhaps she was the only one who wouldn’t be surprised.

He cleared his throat and bounced his leg. He cleaned his glasses an unnecessary amount, the soft cloth squeaking against the lens. He kept the sound on in his design program so every change he made was accompanied by a sharp clicking sound from the monitor and he enjoyed making changes. Some days it drove her crazy and some days it was simply background and on days like today, it would’ve felt comforting but there was nothing but silence.

Nathalie looked across the large office to his empty desk. He’d been picked up by two officers earlier and taken to a private hearing. So private, in fact, that she hadn’t been allowed to accompany him. Gabriel had been a nervous wreck before leaving. He didn’t want to take anything to calm his nerves in case it knocked him out like the other times she’d dosed him. He paced until the officers came and gave Nathalie one fleeting wide-eyed look before he was being handcuffed and shuffled out to the waiting car.

Adrien had let her know that Chat Noir and Ladybug would be in the meeting but that was little comfort. Nathalie was well aware of Ladybug’s influence on her partner. It wasn’t a bad influence but it could be troublesome for Gabriel.

“It’s what he deserves though.”

Her own words said allowed in the silent room were shocking. She hadn’t meant for them to slip out and now they mentally echoed. 

“It’s what I deserve,” she added.

She let that thought sit on the air for a moment before pushing away from her desk and standing. She took three steps and then slipped out of her heels, unable to stand the loud shots they sounded against the marble. In stocking feet, she padded down her hall to her room and then past it until she stood in the doorway of Gabriel’s room. 

Taking a deep breath, she stepped over the threshold onto plush carpet. None of the other rooms in the entire house had carpet and it surprised her that his did. She had a suspicion that it’d been Emilie’s doing but that mattered very little now. Nathalie wasn’t all together sure why she was even in the room or what she hoped to get from being there.

She wasn’t certain how long she stood just inside the doorway. She didn’t feel completely well from her sickness earlier in the week and the memory of Gabriel taking care of her suddenly sat heavily on her shoulders. Why was she still here? What purpose did it serve?

She needed to go back to her desk and finish her work. Gabriel would be home again soon.

Maybe.

Unless things went poorly.

And then...then, she supposed, there would be more silence.


	6. Hawknath

“I don’t understand,” Nathalie murmured as Hawkmoth stood in front of her.

“We’re rebranding him!” Chat Noir stepped out from behind his father with a large grin. “It was Ladybug’s idea. We don’t want the public to be scared if they ever see another Butterfly hero so instead of putting him in prison, we convinced the judge to let us conduct a probationary rehabilitation program.”

Hawkmoth stiffened, jaw clenching and eyes not quite meeting Nathalie’s.

“How were you able to work that out?”

“Well, it’s an odd case because since Ladybug’s Cure fixes everything, Hawkmoth didn’t do any lasting damage and therefore it’s hard to present hard proof,” Chat Noir explained. “But then you have all the akuma victim testimonies and news coverage so it did happen, but there isn’t actual proof that Father was making it all happen.”

Nathalie pursed her lips. “I see.”

“So we were able to negotiate the terms of his punishment. He’s only allowed to be transformed when me or Ladybug are with him and we take his Miraculous after each time but I think this could be really good, right, Father?” Chat Noir looked at the other man hopefully.

“It’s the lesser of evils, I suppose.”

“Well, you would know all about that, wouldn’t you?” The younger Agreste replied breezily. “I need to get home so Miraculous please?” He held out his hand.

Nathalie saw Gabriel’s hesitation. She watched the way his gloved hand tightened over the brooch. “Gabriel,” she said softly and his eyes immediately met hers. He let out a shuddering breath and dropped his transformation, quickly handing the brooch over to his son. Nooroo floated between them with an uncertain expression on his small face.

“Thank you, Father,” Chat Noir said sincerely, closing his hand around the Miraculous. “I’ll be by tomorrow to pick you up again.”

Gabriel and Nathalie watched him go without a word, the purple kwami following in his wake, and once the front door had closed soundly, Gabriel took two steps back to collapse into the chair in front of Nathalie’s desk. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Being Hawkmoth again or doing good or--”

“Any of it,” he interrupted. “I don’t feel...I can stand being outside transformed. I don’t feel quite as anxious.”

“At least that.”

“But I have reservations about enough of the rest of it that I feel as if my insides are knotted up.”

Nathalie frowned. Gabriel wasn’t usually so open about his feelings, at least not willingly. “But the alternative is prison, correct?” She shifted her weight. “Were you wanting to talk? I had almost given up on you coming back tonight and was about to retire to my room but I can stay up a bit if I can go change out of these heels.”

“Oh, I...no, that’s fine. Have a nice night, Nathalie.” Gabriel stiffly stood and exited the office before she could.  
_________________________

Nathalie twisted the sash of the robe around her fingers once more before finally huffing and leaving her bedroom. The soles of her slippers made soft sounds against the marble floor as she neared Gabriel’s room. His bedroom door was slightly ajar and she swallowed hard before knocking softly on it. “Gabriel?”

There was a rustle of cloth and the door was being pulled open to reveal a shirtless Gabriel, his eyes a little wide. “Is everything okay?”

Nathalie made herself look him in the face. “Uh, yes, sorry. I wanted to check and make sure you were okay.” She noted the way his hair looked, disheveled as if he’d been running his hands through it. He did that when he was nervous, when he thought no one could see.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “But if you’re willing, I would appreciate being able to orally walk through some of the points of my probation.”

“Of course, sir.”

Gabriel glanced down the hall for a moment and then stepped back, pulling the door open wider. “Would you like to come in?”

Nathalie stood right outside the room. The carpet looked just as plush as it had earlier when she entered without invitation. Lamps were on either side of the bed, casting a dim light around the room. 

“Or perhaps we should go back to the office,” Gabriel offered.

“Here is fine,” Nathalie said, stepping inside.


	7. Casual Friday

“So you’re supposed to be a sort of show of explimary reform?” Nathalie asked, curling her legs underneath her. It was very late, or rather very early, and her lack of sleep was beginning to catch up. She rested her head against the soft fabric headboard as she leaned her shoulder against it. 

“I suppose.” Gabriel had his back to the headboard beside her, long legs clad in striped pajama pants and stretched out before him. He’d thrown on a matching shirt but suspiciously left it unbuttoned and Nathalie had been working hard not to notice. “There will be a press conference with an official announcement tomorrow. I’m hoping you’ll be there.”

“Of course, sir.” She saw a smile grace his lips before quickly disappearing.

“It will be dreadful, naturally, but it’s what Adrien wants and I have more than enough that I need to make up to him.”

“And it’s better than prison.”

“That’s to be determined,” he replied dryly. 

“And how has Ladybug been through all this?”

“She hates me. It’s in her eyes. She’s been civil though and I can’t deny the softness she shows Adrien. Their relationship is obviously intimate. I have a suspicion I know who she is now.”

“Marinette,” Nathalie answered simply.

Gabriel gaped. “Well, yes, but how did--”

“Gabriel, please. They’ve been dating for three years. They live together. I thought it was rather obvious.”

He frowned. “You could’ve told me.”

Nathalie shook her head. “It wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“No, I suppose not.”

The grandfather clock in the foyer let out three deep tones. “It’s late,” Nathalie murmured, uncurling herself. “I need to get some rest.”

“Yes, I suppose we both should.” Gabriel pursed his lips. “Would you like to stay in here?”

She blinked in surprise. “What?”

“Well, we’re both already in the bed and in our pajamas. It’s going to be a casual Friday anyway at this rate and I just thought...I thought that perhaps you’d like to stay.”

Nathalie balanced on the edge of the bed. “Why?”

Gabriel took a deep breath. “Because I’d like you to, if you want.”

For a moment, she deliberated going back to her room anyway but she found herself sliding between the expensive sheets and not meeting Gabriel’s eyes. “I’ll stay.”


	8. Day Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part has a bit of a time jump. Gabriel a Hawkmoth has been shadowing Ladybug and Chat Noir in his rehabilitation for around ninety days and things have been going well as he attempts to atone for his crimes.

“Wings fall.” Gabriel automatically reached up to take off the brooch when his son interrupted him. 

“Actually, Father, I was thinking perhaps you could keep it tonight,” Chat Noir said, eyes hopeful. 

Gabriel paused. “Yes, of course. We’ll patrol again tomorrow night.”

“Or we could take a day off? Marinette and I were hoping you,” he turned, “and Nathalie would come over for dinner.”

Nathalie and Gabriel exchanged a look and she nodded. “We’d love to, Adrien.”

“Great,” he grinned. “I’ll text details tomorrow. Have a good night.” And with that, he was crossing the room and letting himself out through the window, much to Gabriel’s chagrin.

“As if it’s more difficult to go through the door.”

“I’ve found he likes to do things he knows you don’t approve of,” Nooroo said lightly.

“So I’ve noticed.”

Nathalie eyed them both as she stood from her desk and stretched. “Well, this is different.”

Gabriel held out his hand and Nooroo landed in it hesitantly. “I believe I’m being tested.”

The kwami blinked at him with large violet eyes but didn’t respond.

“Yes, I thought so.”

“Well, it has been almost ninety days since you’ve been playing superhero sidekick. That seems like a good time for a test,” Nathalie mused. 

“Yes, but even if I was tempted,” Gabriel eyed them both, “which I’m not, by the way, I wouldn’t do it on my first night alone with the Miraculous.”

“What about your second night?” Nathalie teased.

“No.”

“Your fifth?”

“Don’t be absurd. You think I’ve gone through all of this humiliation to simply undo it now?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “Perhaps I just better not leave you alone ever. It might be unsafe for all of Paris for you to be unsupervised.”

“Comedy is not talent of yours, Nathalie.”

“And not being a huge sourpuss isn’t one of yours, Gabriel.”

He tried to hide his smile. “I should fire you for that.”

“You haven’t been my boss for months, but you can go ahead and try. It would be amusing.”

He was suddenly picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Nathalie gasped in surprise and playfully hit at his back. “Put me down right this minute, you brute.”

“If you want me to be a villain, my dear, I can be a villain,” he teased, walking them back to their bedroom. “Just you watch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I was going to write more of their relationship progressing but honestly, I wanted to wrap this up instead of letting it become another WIP sitting on the shelf and getting dusty.


End file.
